Youth most vulnerable to suicide: Report TOI

Pune:The fairer sex has proved to be stronger as well. The report compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) titled – ‘Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India’, says that 431 men in Pune committed suicide in 2010 as against 215 women. The trend has been noticed across the country.
The report, which is the only document in India that provides statistics about suicides, said that social and economic causes have driven most men to commit suicide whereas emotional and personal causes were the reasons among women.
Overall, the number of suicides in the city has seen a fractional drop in 2010. Pune recorded 646 cases in 2010 at the rate of 17.2 per one lakh population. In 2005 it was 13.5; 14.1 in 2006; 15.5 in 2007; 16.3 in 2008 and 17.3 in 2009.
Most alarming was the high rate in the 15-29 age group (40.2%). Bobby Zachariah, chief executive officer of ‘Connecting’, an NGO that works towards prevention of suicides, said, “Academic pressures from teachers as well as parents, love affairs and depression are some of the common causes for people in this age group to end their lives.”
Zachariah expressed concern at depression emerging as one of the major causes. “People give up when they don’t get what they desire in life, leading to depression and the extreme step. Also relationship issues, including kids who are unable to meet parents’ expectations, are some of the causes for the high percentage of suicides in this age group.”
If marital status is a yardstick to gauge the trend, more married individuals (72.1%) committed suicide as against unmarried, widowed, divorcees and separated men and women. Profile-wise, more number of housewives took the extreme step.
“Usually, when youth experience little or no control in the important events of their lives, they may see themselves negatively. “I am worthless. I’m no good.” This negative thinking makes it difficult for youth to face the stresses in their lives, and this combined with poor problem-solving skills can lead to feelings of depression and hopelessness,” thinks Rajeev Yeravdekar, dean faculty of health sciences at Symbiosis International University.
Alka Pawar, director of Maharashtra Institute of Mental Health, said, “Lack of communication in some families makes it difficult for the suicidal person to state his or her needs openly to others. And adolescents believe there is no one who can understand them. This often creates a sense of intense aloneness and isolation as they face problems.”
“Besides in cities, trivial happenings, peer-pressure to perform, lower levels of tolerance, psychological problems arising out of daily living are reasons. How to cope with a difficult situation is no longer part of grooming. It is not happening through observational learning in the family, parents have become over protective of their wards and there is not enough bonding between parents and teachers. There are too many expectations. Very few people talk at home if there is a problem,” Pawar said.

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The family of the writer was tortured by the Indian Law which are bias against the Indian Husband. Thousands of 498A, DV Act 2005 & Maintenance cases are filed each year in India by women seeking to wreak vengeance on their husbands and in-laws. Enormous sums are extorted from intimidated families implicated in these cases by corrupt Indian police officers and elements of the Indian judiciary. The author and his family haven't bribed any public official nor have they given in to the extortion. This blog aims to raise awareness of due process in India. The content of this blog constitutes, opinions, observations, and publicly available documents. The intent is not to slander or defame anyone or any institution and is the manifestation of the author's right to freedom of expression – with all the protections this right guarantees.